The Abolitionist Movement: An End to Racial Segregation Essay

Submitted By a9315
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As history.com defines abolitionist movement, it states that it’s, “The movement to emancipate all slaves and the end of all racial segregation.[1]
There were several antislavery movements which lead up to the abolitionist movement. The first antislavery movements began as early as the Age of Revolution, and existed till the end of the civil war. [2] The second major movement contained more white people than of the first movement. This movement “consisted of black and white abolitionists in the north with outposts [3] in the upper south.”[4] It controlled in the north and south and was composed of larger antislavery movements with direct actions and influences. The third essential movement took place in the 1730’s, when the Quakers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania came to the realization that slavery “contradicted their belief in spiritual equality” [5] Those are just a few I listed, but there is plenty more along with revolts and conspiracies. All these movements and revolts were the ground foundation of what was yet to come.
Even though progress was being made towards the abolitionist movement, there were obstacles they faced that prolonged it. There were vicious riots, and although the blacks had white allies’ abolitionist, there was still segregation of white and black freedoms.
It wasn’t until 1831 when the movement truly began to make a turn to a positive direction. A man by the name of William Lloyd Garrison made it his duty to “bridge racial differences.”[6] He spoke to black groups, stayed in black homes and invited the blacks to stay in his home. From all this he gained loyalty from black abolitionists. By all this, the AASS (American Anti-Slavery Society) allowed black men to hold positions in their committee. Black males, females and white female abolitionists formed their own auxiliaries to the AASS, so that African Americans have the opportunity to be a leader of something but still be a part of one single movement. [7]
In 1835, the AASS launched the “Great Postal Campaign,” which they would send direct antislavery literature to individual slaveholders, and southern post offices.[8] AASS took it as far as fas as creating a petition to congress, addressing slavery.[9] The additional response to the AASS’s effort was something to totally unexpected. “Southern postmasters burned upon